I have been repairing mowers of all sizes for years and the very 1st thing I do on any greasy machine is pressure wash it. I own the same mower as in this video and thank you for the amazing walk through here. That was the only fault I saw. Love the way you used the drill to drop the oil level. I use the same trick to check mowers for spark.
The shaft seal on top was the more likely culprit for the oil on the cooling fins. The unit should have been thoroughly cleaned before removing the plug and tipping it, I saw crud falling into the opening it may not have gotten inside but why risk it.
I have a L130 2004 looks brand new. I bought it used. The guy took incredible care of it. I replace all the spindles and pulleys with John Deere Oem parts. New blades. No rust . The deck was cleaned off after every use. That’s how you prevent rust on your deck. The new spindles have grease fittings so they get greased every season. Oil changes and belts replaced if needed every year. The mower is always garaged. If you don’t take care of the tractor, I promise it won’t take care of you.😄
Is there a reason nobody pressure washes these things while they have it out. This is 4th one I watched, one dude took a toothbrush to it. I want to hit it w my little electric pressure washer. Btw, that bad boy, not much to those thing's. Also there were two more magnets to check on this tranny
Thanks. Great video. Unfortunately may have waited too late to see this. When I dropped mine the fan was missing all blades. 571 hours. Went ahead and gave it a try. Drained the tar and filled with Bad Boy fluid. Did the drill test and still barely moving forward. Hardly a turn in reverse. Sure it had to over heat if that fan is critical. Now to decide if I want to drop the $ for new. Appreciate you folks that go to the trouble to post these "help the diy'ers" videos though. Very helpful.
Top tip...............Clean the unit first before doing any kind of draining of oil that way you would reduce the probability of introducing any dirt / contaminantes into the system after all there is a piston pump arrangement inside the case and these types are very very susceptible to dirt and debris. If you clean up after you change the oil you risk introducing crap via the breather.............
Followed this video step by step for my L118 that couldn’t make it up a hill. Everything is working when done. Few things to point out that wasn’t obvious, when filling back up you need to let it overflow into the hole on the right... almost missed this trying to be careful not to spill or overflow but could have been a costly mistake. At the end I also needed to run the tractor up to full throttle and mash the forward pedal to actually get it to move. Tractor makes it up a hill now, I’ll post back next time I do a full mow to make sure it’s still stable.
Hey Patrick! Did the transmission oil replacement hold as a long term fix? I’ve read it’s only a bandaid and to get it running well again you need to send parts to a guy in Canada who refurbs some parts then sends them back to you. He claims it’s the only way to fix the issue completely.
Really sad that John Deere tries to fool you into believing that their hydrostatic transmission can't be serviced and has to be replaced when it stops working. A few hours of work and $40.00 of oil and you're back mowing.
Good video. But 2 things. 1. Clean the trans before opening so the junk doesn't get inside that hole when trying to drain it. 2. K46 uses 10w30 oil per tuff torque. 2.3 qts
The first rule of working on hydraulics is to clean everything thoroughly before opening it up so no dirt can get inside. If that thing had a second chance at life from the fluid change, the dirt that fell into it will certainly cut that short.
i would not recoment flipping it upsidedown like that. All the gunk from the bottom is now going right on the parts inside, this might seriously damage your unit. I would recomend just pumping it out.
The way to measure fluid is .75 to 1" from the topof cover. The void is so fluid can get to both piston pumps inside of unit both sides should be full.
Take the Wheels off first, unbolt tranny and HP Wash unit, then drain oil and replace with new oil, Tuff Torq. makes a rebuild kit but in my opinion they are a little to high in price...
that is very rebuildable... and you should have opened it up as there is a screen filter in the bottom of it.. and cleaned it all out .. there is other magnets inside of it as will.. one should o never mind .. lol
Great video on the servicing of a non-serviceable transaxle. I have a 12-year-old LA125 that I bought new to mow a 5 acre house block in the tropics of northern Australia. The fact you can buy a kit to install drain and fill points shows the need for servicing and highlights a blot on John Deere's integrity, by substituting quality with inferior components such as the transaxle, the pressed deck, and thickness of the deck material, self-tapping spindle bolts which are not effective after retightening resulting in splitting around the spindle mounting location. and welding/replacement of the deck 4 times since new. This after-sales strategy turns me away from an otherwise quality brand of mower. Please get out your pressure cleaner to teach DIYers the right way to prepare for repairs in your next videos.
K46 is fully serviceable TufTorq folks are good to deal with, service parts and rebuild kits are available from them. I have the K66AG, which uses the same instructions as the K46 transmission, and just did my 50 hour oil change. last month. first at 50 hours, then every 200 hours after.
sometimes it's just the drive belt has stretched a bit. Start with a new drive belt. I did mine today and it can now get up my hills again, which it had been failing at.
yea ima give it a try too mine same,gets worse longer it runs..also whines loudly when go pedal pressed.. i really believe more than drive belt especially with loud whine.
I think the drive belt is only like 9 bucks on amazon too. I think it's about 50 bucks at John Deere. It's not too bad to replace either. The little bolt by the fan on top of the transmission to keep the belt in contact with that pully is the really hardest thing but not too back, otherwise super simple.
@@sim7409 I have trouble goin uphill currently on steeper grade. Sometimes it wants to make it sound like the transmission is bad but I just remembered last year pickin up leaves, I had the drive belt come off and the belt was burning and I put the belt back on. Now I'm gonna replace the belt because I'm sure it's slipping going uphill and I think it's more common than not that a belt stretches even only after 5 years of use than a transmission going bad. I suppose look at your transmission and see if there is a bunch of gunk on the outside from the fluid first, then you might need a transmission fluid swap, but otherwise it will definitely most likely be the drive belt. I'm not an expert but that's just what I'm dealing with and my story. good luck! Wish it was easier to check your tranny fluid like on your truck with these John Deere's but they like when you come in and pay big bucks for them to fix it.
You are the first to point that out. That would have been a great time to do that. Once the wheels are sized onto the axle they're nearly impossible to get off!
Great vid my friend, they build them intensely like that so we have to drop about another $800 plus labor down the road. You proved that DIY is the best fix. I can hear my 31/2 yr old D140 with 280hrs calling to me to start pulling out her tranny. I will fallow your lead Thankyou very much.
Yea! Making them serviceable makes to much sense. That’s another 2000 dollar add on expense for a new Tractor To get that drain plug on the bottom of the trans. I called a few John Deere service centers and they told me those Trans are non serviceable Trans. Of course they are!! Lol they want to install a brand new 900.00 Trans for yea. Tuff Torq that make the K46 trans and the majority of trans in lawn tractors today makes a rebuilt kit for all of its Trans. So they are serviceable.
Last spring when I bought myself a zero turn the #1 factor was whether or not the hydros were servicable. Hence I ended up with a bad boy that has drain plugs and external filters on each drive unit.
What I found out is people who pull trailers and stuff with their mowers have found out the K46 can’t handle it and have to buy a new K66 trans SO don’t pull with it, just mow and keep it clean out of the weather
Now that's what I call a backyard job, crazy not cleaning it properly before playing with it! My K46 is crap! I've changed the oil once and it went better for about 5 hrs then back to crawling slower than a snail up a pole!
A couple comments.. I dont think you could drain all and fill completely without opening the vent plug too or better yet, remove the bottom plate.. second..might have been worthwhile to clean more of the caked oil off the casing. Also realize there is a filter and another magnet in the unit that should be cleaned or replaced only accessible by removing the bottom plate too.. this would allow complete drainage of the old oil and cleaning of the filter and 2nd magnet. I have an older, 2005 Cub LT1050 with the 26hp Command, and I'm trying to find out what model hydro I have so I can order in the common replacement parts, but I might wait until fall. I'll try to look it up on the lawn tractor data website you mentioned
great video, I purchase a d110 with low 80 hours from a private party, he said had no problems, only some rust her and there, arrived home did a cut before it started raining, pushed it inside the garage, like 10-15 ft. with out unhooking the L shaped hook in the back. the second day I found a spot of oil underneath, the light colored oil was dripping from the transaxal, back in the right side ( Hydraulic fluid - transaxle leak) as I'm not very handy but welling to try, I called and the well recommended guy said over the phone that this needs a new transmission!! and my idea of changing the gasket- o ring is not a good one!! your thoughts please , thank you !
I AllWAYS drain it thru breather hole and refill it, then try it under a load or hill hot It’s a 50% chance But if they just want a new trans that is what I do
Just did this procedure on my L120. Mine would barely move after a short time mowing and forget reverse completely. Well, after draining the old fluid and replacing it with Castrol 5w50 Synthetic, it did make an improvement, but I haven’t completely mowed my 3 acres of grass yet, so the jury is out as to what will happen when it really heats up. It’s definitely better though and I’m happy about that. It was actually much easier than I thought it would be, so I would definitely recommend doing it to anyone who is having issues with their K46 transmission. Sure beats the cost of a replacement unit, or worse yet, having to junk the whole tractor. Thanks to you and all the others that have posted similar videos!
@udahman2 how did this work out for you? We have a JD 265 that lost reverse so we took it to a service place and they changed the fluid and now reverse works great but we have no forward gear now 😏 trying to find ideas as to why that would happen
@@lh98 well, I still haven’t had a chance to mow the whole lot yet, but it definitely is better, but like I said, I’m not sure it won’t act up as the transmission heats up. Not sure about your issue though. That’s a puzzler.
I have a 2004 L130 still truckin along. Like anything , you take care of them mechanically they will last. Mine looks brand new. Deck looks new. Not bad for a 16 yr old mower. 😁
Next time you spend a lot of $$ for a new lawn mower or garden tractor, take a look at the Owner's Manual, and see if there's a section that talks about replacing the hydrostatic transmission fluid after xxx hours. If not, then it's a throw-away, not designed to be serviced by the owner / operator.
This😊 is why i coul😅d never be a mechanic!!! Why would they design something so dumb that you can't even work on it easily!! Mine is not moving past 10 minutes of mowing and no hills!!! Thought John Deere was better than this!! My new mantra is WHY WOULD THEY DESIGN SOMETHING THIS WAY!!!??? SHAME ON THEM!!! THANKS FOR THE VIDEO!! My son said can't be worked on and he is pretty good at fixing most anything!!
I mow a drive wide width over a 256 acre farm and around 5 big fields, my yard, down the drive, around the barn!!! Lots of hours!! Need a dependable mower! Mowing season has just started!!
I would have loved to see you driving it afterwards. What if it did not fix it, then what. I'll take your word for it that it worked for you. I just need to break mine down and look at it also. Thanks for the video.
These low end hydrostats and the tractors they are bolted to are designed to be throw-away items. When shopping for a garden tractor last year, I found even the X300 series of machines all use the K46 transmission. Stepping up to the X500 series finally got me into a user serviceable transmission with drain plugs and a filter.
Thank you for posting this. I have a cub cadet my neighbor gave me for this exact issue. Non serviceable hydro. I'm pulling it apart tonight. Great job.
It's been working great. Alot of ZTR's take 20W50 which is why I chose it. Plus I figured since it's worn and slipping a "thicker" fluid might do it some good.
Dad had a 110that died as well. Pulled it apart and the pump was gone. Great little tractors but where the transmission is ‘unserviceable’ it makes them throw away mowers. You wouldn’t think JD let someone build something like that for them to put their stickers on?
There are vids here that show how to take apart the trans, It is very easy, and you wont get all the oil out and there are other magnets. took me 2hrs to drop tran, thoroughly clean, and have ready to install(let stand for 24hrs for case hardener though), What you did is better than nothing but once taken out might as well do proper.
this is absolutely helpful and excellent job too.My Toro gt 2000 just out the garage from winter wont move itself so i'm gonna check pulleys and belt .Then thats where this awesome video comes in Thank You so much. could you tell me when that belt and fan runs.I guess as soon as the engine starts for max cooling ? Mines not spinning at idle ?
On some hydrostatic mowers(including mine) in order to push it, you have to move a lever on the back that disconnects the hydrostatic drive from the wheels. When you push the tractor out after winter storage, it is easy to forget this step. The engine still starts, but it will not move under its own power until you flip the lever back to the running position. Check your Owners Manual, or download one from the Internet and check out this process.
I won't buy anything with a K46 transmission simply because the oil fill plug is underneath the fan. That means you HAVE to remove the transmission to change the oil. Also there's that cheap magnet filter. I have a 23 year old k51 transmission, and I cut out half the battery tray, and you can access the fill cap and pump out the old oil fairly easily. That oil HAS to be changed every few years. That's the #1 cause of problems. But I would take a k46 transmission over one of those plastic CVT transmissions. They're disgraceful.
Thank you For Awesome Video Well done, the video and the work on the tractor as well, it's very well explained. I have a JOHN DEERE D110, and it has the same problem it doesn't drive at all, neither forward nor backward, I guess either it's low in transmission fluid or needs service or both because it's wet on the right side wheel.. all over the transmission...
I just got a Husqvarna 150CTH for not a lot. Engine stops as soon as the clutch is engaged - I'll replace the relays. But it wouldn't move. Idiot who had been at it before had left the key out of one wheel. Duh!
The cast Aluminum housing is very strong and very durable I changed the oil I put in Castrol 15w50 full synthetic oil I should have no serious problems with the K46 Tuff torq for many years if at all
My dads John Deere is a l100 its 21 years old he’s never replaced the transmission oil or belt lol ... I bought it from him I’m thinking about changing the trans oil
For what it is worth, i really enjoyed your video. The content and explanations were very good. BtW, thankz for not putting music in this video. I have a Deere L130 with 210 hours on it. Bought it new and it still runs great. How many houra are on this L120 as I want to know when my trans will need some work?
I would remove the fill plug without removing the transaxle if possible, clean the magnet, and use a hand pump to pump out as much fluid as I could, and replace the fluid with some Amsoil hydrostatic oil once a year. Kind of like how people do auto trans flushes in a series. Do you think this is possible on the newer mowers? Other than that, the drain plug kit is looking better every day.
Yeah, I replaced one and they said it wasn’t serviceable. What a mechanic at the John Deere Dealer told me was that by the time the oil wears out most of what’s in their is worn down. These are kind of built like a disposable part. When you get out of the one series you get into the K66 transmission which is serviceable and built a lot better. You can buy conversion kits for these but it requires some more brackets to readjust your mower deck and bigger wheels, it will also make your mower a bit faster and last a lot longer but last I checked it was about $1000 for the whole kit with wheels and everything. I ended up buying one of these off of eBay for $450 a few years ago and just swapped it out and it’s been good sense. To me that was easier than saving a couple hundred bucks and trying to tear the whole thing apart anyway. I wanted to K66 upgrade kit but it was just too much. I think it’s the hills that kill these things or like you said towing something heavy. I think on a flat lawn these would last hundreds and hundreds of hours. I probably had 3 to 400 hours on my first one and probably close to two on the second one, But on the second one I’ve been using it on a new property with a lot flatter lawn and it still seems like brand new. To get the belt on or changed you don’t have to take the whole thing out there’s a 10 mm bolt on the frame that lifts that belt guide up so you can slide the new one in. It’s easier if you takeoff the right rear tire but you can get it without and you have to pull the steering column up there’s a nut and a gear on the bottom that slides off and you pull it up so you can get the belt around it. It was like 37 bucks for two new pulleys and a belt from John Deere. I bought the original John Deere because it’s a pain to get all the way up in there and I didn’t wanna mess with a cheap belt but the pulleys and belts are pretty easy to replace but it’s cool you were able to change the fluid. They told me that couldn’t be done this
Good video. Very clever using impact wrench make tranny run. Good way to purge K46. Myself I've changed the fluid in 2002 Simplicity Broadmoor twice. It came with 2 drain plugs and 1fill plug.
At 1:20, the bearings go bad in those. Then the pulley quits spinning and it smokes the belt and plastic pulley. Same thing happened to a JD lawn tractor that we had where I work.
